Treatment for Damaged Tresses

There are lots of things that can damage our hair. Overuse of styling products, harsh winter winds, too much sun, dry climates, changes in hormone levels—the list goes on. There are, however, several things that we can do to get our tresses back in shape.

Follow a healthy diet.Hair needs nourishment, so make sure that you are eating a healthy diet and nourishing yourself from the inside out. Nutrients that help promote healthy hair include vitamins A and C, iron, zinc, biotin, B vitamins, and protein. Make sure that your diet includes an abundance of beans, nuts, legumes, carrots, citrus fruits, and dark leafy greens.

Protect your hair from the elements.Wear a hat, especially if you are leaving the house on a cold morning with damp locks. If you have long hair, it can also be helpful to keep it pulled up so that it’s not exposed. Hair can also be damaged by exposure to the sun. Consider using scarves, bandanas, or hats in the summer, too, when you will be spending prolonged amounts of time outdoors.

Shampoo less frequently.If your hair is becoming dry and you use shampoo everyday, try switching to every other day. If you feel that you need to wash your hair everyday, try simply rinsing with cool water and just using conditioner on days that you don’t shampoo. When you do shampoo, try a shampoo formulated for your specific hair needs, whether you are trying to stimulate hair growth or moisturize a dry scalp.

Play with your hair. Lightly massaging your scalp can help evenly distribute the natural oils in your hair. This can be especially good to do just before washing your hair. The oils will help protect your locks from the cleansing agents in the shampoo. Next time you are lounging around watching television, give your head a little massage!

Indulge in a moisturizing treatment.There is an abundance of commercial, cruelty-free hair-repairing formulas out there, but you can make your own: Simply massage jojoba oil or olive oil into your hair. Leave the oil on your head for about 10 minutes covered with a warm towel (longer if you have lots of damage). Then shampoo it out and style it as usual. This also happens to double as a really great treatment for your hands. If you opt for a commercial formula, try one from Aveda, LUSH, or The Body Shop.

The Body Shop has great hair products, and I’ve been a member since its inception, because of their cruelty-free stance…am conflicted these days–ever since L’Oreal, NOT cruelty-free, became the parent company.

Use a shampoo without all the damaging crap in it (i.e. sulfates) and switch to something like Organix brand shampoo. It doesn’t dry out your hair like a lot of shampoos on the market today. They have plenty of yummy smelling flavors and conditioners too!

I, recently, discovered, (after Alba stopped making their old line of shampoos & conditioners) the Vegan Soy Shampoo & Conditioner, by Lamas (available through Vegan Essentials)…It’s a “Hydrating Shampoo”, and “Balancing Conditioner”, formulated for ‘color-treated, dry, or damaged hair’…It’s great stuff that works really well!…It’s a little pricey…But, if you are sparing with it, it’s well worth it…It makes for a happy scalp, and lovely locks!!
~*Kristin Star*

Does the olive oil need to be a certain type or can you use any?
Also, Aveda’s damage repair intense treatment works great and smells wonderful. I have had people comment on how nice my hair looks after I use it – and I am the poster child for damaged hair – so that’s how awesome it is. I loooooove Aveda. Somewhat obsessed…haha

Hey Caroline, these are some great tips about the vinegar, avocado and banana! Thanks for sharing. The eggs, however, aren’t such a great treatment for our hair due to the treatment of the chickens who lay the eggs. Please check out more info on the egg industry: http://www.goveg.com/factoryFarming_chickens_egg.asp

Oils are great, and you can also leave them on your hair all night. Avocado and banana mask is great and make your hair smell yummy. Leave it for about 20 minutes or either dry or wet hair. Eggs (especially the yoke) are also great.

To have shinny hair, you can also consider using cold water and/or vinegar! Rinse your hair with cold water and then put some vinegar as a last rinse thingy (apple vinegar is great and smells better).

What I have read about shampoo is that it irritates de head skin and makes you produce more oil and then you need wash it every day, and the best you can do is stop the use of shampoos and replace it with natural preparations, like lemon juice with a bit of sodium carbonate and use the preparation one day and the next day use, for example, baby’s shampoo that is less agressive that adults shampoo. The best is to look for the natural recipee that works better with your hair, depends on if it’s curly, thin, etc., the nature has the right plants, herbs and fruits for every one. (I hope I wrote it o.k., I’m from México and I haven´t learned it perfectly yet :P)

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